By: Dave Abrahams
Pretoria - Ford's B-Max, due for release in South Africa in the third quarter of this year, is all about making the best use of a small footprint - a case of “Don't think outside the box - invent a better box!”
It's shares Ford's global B-car platform with the Fiesta which, let's face it, is not a big car at all, but with an ingenious design that makes it a uniquely accessible 'compact multi-activity vehicle' - Ford's description, not ours.
What makes it special is the B-pillar architecture: they're not part of the body-shell, they're built into the rear doors. The hinged front doors open the same way as any conventional microvan, but when the sliding rear doors are unlatched, they take the locking mechanism for the front doors with them, leaving the entire side of the car from the windshield to the rear window open.
ALL-ACCESS PASS
That gives you a gaping hole 1.5 metres wide for installing or removing kiddy-seats, rearranging the seating for bulky parcels (The 60:40 split rear seats can be folded flat with a simple one-handed operation) or just getting the peanut gallery in and out without the usual sibling squabbles. Is it any wonder the B-Max was designed by a woman?
And yet Ford claims that clever use of sheet-metal has resulted in a body-shell that'll provide the same level of crash protection as more conventional vehicles. The B-Max also boasts a wide range of smart technologies including Sync voice-activated connectivity, MyKey, an auto dimming rear-view mirror and full-length panoramic roof.
The full line-up will only be announced when the B-Max is launched in South Africa but we do know that it will include the feisty one-litre EcoBoost turbopetrol three.